Pioneer presents level-services budget, looks to assess pandemic's impact in the future – The Recorder

The Pioneer Valley Regional School District School Committee and administrators presented the proposed fiscal year 2023 budget Thursday night. STAFF PHOTO/CHRIS LARABEE
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NORTHFIELD — With an eye toward future economic impacts on its budget, the Pioneer Valley Regional School District presented a level-services budget Thursday with a 2.54% increase over the current fiscal year’s budget.
The proposed fiscal year 2023 budget stands at roughly $15.23 million — up from less than $14.85 million this year — as the district is maintaining student services while trying to determine how to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We do have a lot of work to do, but this wasn’t the year with all the changes. … That’s why it’s a level-service budget,” said Budget Subcommittee Chair Michele Giarusso. “The focus does have to be on the children and how we educate them.”
Interim Superintendent Patricia Kinsella said after Thursday’s meeting that the goal is to get through the coming school year while maintaining student services, with the intention to take a deeper look at the district’s finances next year.
“Our goal was to provide level services with an eye toward understanding the pandemic’s impact on the district,” Kinsella said. “We will take a look at what financial underpinnings we have.”
Of the four district towns, only Warwick’s assessment decreased 1.47% to $820,374. Leyden’s assessment increased 7.12% to $858,295. While Leyden’s increase is “daunting,” Pioneer Business Manager Judy Houle said there are so few students coming from the town that any sort of increase in student population will have a substantial budgetary impact. Northfield’s assessment increased 1.72% to roughly $4.75 million and Bernardston’s increased 2.71% to about $3.06 million. Houle said assessments as a whole increased by 2.12% to $9.5 million.
Enrollment in the district has increased to 573 students, up two from last year and the year before that.
In terms of coronavirus relief funds, the district plans to expend Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief II and III money over the upcoming fiscal year, while maintaining some for future use. Much of the money will go toward a master study of all the facilities in the district, of which the results will be used to guide maintenance and capital plans for each building. After fiscal year 2023, the district expects to retain approximately $344,076 heading into fiscal year 2024 and beyond.
Kinsella said these one-time funds are helpful for getting through the immediate fiscal year, but the school district cannot come to rely on them in the future.
“For this fiscal year, we are relying on one-time funds,” Kinsella said, adding that while helpful, it is “not good from a financial stance.”
The School Committee will formally vote on the budget at its next meeting on Thursday, March 10, at 7 p.m. in the Pioneer Valley Regional School library. Any questions or feedback can be given in person or by emailing citizenscomments@pvrsdk12.org.
The district’s financial documents can be viewed at bit.ly/3pEUrtr.

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Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com or 413-930-4081.

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